Improved railroad-gate



UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

DAvID s. WEISE, OE EEECKNOCK TOWNSHIP, LANCASTER COUNTY, AsSIeNoE To HIMSELE, JACOB E. PINCAMAN, AND JOSEPH w.' eosEEET, OE DUELOCE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVED RAILROAD-GATE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 81,4414, dated August 25, 1868.

To all 'whom it may concern: Be it known that I, DAVID S. WEIsE, of Brecknock township, in the county ot' Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Gate for Railroad-Crossings; and I do hereby decla-re that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a perspective view of the gate when down; Fig. 2, a prole view when the gate is thrown up,on a reduced scale.. Fig. 3 illustrates the rocker and connections for operating the gate.

The nature of my invention consists in the larrangement of the rocker, crank, and connection with the gate, moving on pivots in the slotted uprights and on the post, in such a manner as to be actuated by the tread of the car-wheels at a point sufficiently remote to cause the gate to assume a vertical position and clear the track for the passage of the train, and so as to drop across the track immediately when the last car has passed over the bridge-piece or rocker. Approached` from either Side, theaction is'the same.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now describe its construction and operation.

Figs. l and 3 show the sills l, 2, 3, and 4, which support the rails, as alsov the base a of the posts A A. Between the sills or crossties 2 and 3 is the rocker-shaft B across the track under the rails. This has its bearings in the base c of the posts. This shaft is also provided with a rounded lever, t, which tits into a notch on the vibrating or rocking bar T, which lies contiguous to the rail R, and the ends prolonged. to any desired length, and

, slightly rounded or curved down, held at regular intervals by iron bars L, moving on pivots afXed to the rocker T and pieces of timber 6 7, 85o., in such a manner that when a carwheel strikes the rocker it pushes it forward. The pivoted braces or bars L operate similarly to those on a parallel ruler, and consequently the rocker T turns the shaft B ninety degrees from the perpendicular, or very nearly. To one end of this shaft a crank-arm, C, is attached, with a vibrating connecting-rod, D, held in a clevis or bracket, E, which embraces the top rail F of the gate at its projecting end beyond the post A, in which the rail F is also held by a pivot-bolt, as is also the lower rail G. The rails are joined by vertical pales H, also provided with slots blow for the pivots, to allow 'the proper elevation of the rails F G without binding. The post A has a crotch, a, for the upper rail F, a-nd also one on the widened lower portion 'n' for the lower rail G, in -which notches the rails respectively lodge. The dotted lines in Fig. 3 indicate the change of position oI" the crank-arm and connectingrod when the gate is thrown up, as shown by Fig. 2, by the action of the wheels of the cars of a passing train.

It is coniidently believed that this device would act promptly and efficiently in opening and closing, and meet the demands for a gate at railroad-crossings to prevent cattle from entering upon the track from public roads. It can be so arranged as to remain in position until all'the cars have passed through, and

'then drop into place.

I am aware that gates have been made and used held by pivots and elevated by a weight; but I am not aware that a gate operated substantially in the manner and for the purpose speciiied was ever known or used before.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combined arrangement of my notched rocker T, adjoining the rail, pivoted bars L,

*rocker-shaft B, and lever t, also ,the crankarm c, connecting-rod D, stirrup-bracket E, and gate F G H, all arranged and operated substantially in the manner and for the purpose specied. l

DAVID S. WEISE. Witnesses:

BARTON P. REAM,

OYRUS BEAM. 

